O'Connell Street Opens

magnumlady

Well as the advert used to say:
'Sligo is surprising'....it is, it's a bloody joke!

You can't even say O'Connell Street is pedestrainised at the moment, it seems every morning it's full of delivery trucks/ cars/ old biddys from out of the area that don't realise the road is closed/ flash motors parked outside the atm etc.

jimmmy

blackiebest wrote: »

The retail park, Lissadell house, O'Connell Street... what are we like???

As the mod said only a few posts ago "This thread is about O'Connell Street re-opening and that's all. "

blackiebest

Fair enough Jimmy. I guess I feel that Sligo is the best place in Ireland, Sligo people are the best people in Ireland and we seem to continually 'shoot ourselves in the foot' whenever somthing good is afoot, we seem to blow it.

I know that one of those examples is an issue we totally disagree on and therefore may I swap 'Lissadell' with the World Rally, another insanely HUGE event we, the Sligo population, screwed up by being so stupid/greedy. Compare the WRC to how Galway did with the Volvo ocean race...

bobcar61

jimmmy wrote: »

As the mod said only a few posts ago "This thread is about O'Connell Street re-opening and that's all. "

Jimmmy, you have been on boards.ie long enough to know that back seat modding is not allowed. Again and it could mean a short holiday for you.

There was nothing wrong with Blackiebests post. It was all to do with O'Connell Street and then used the Retail Park and Lissadell house as examples of stupidity by the council in their decisions.

shellyriver

Re Sligo traders attitude. I haven't read Sligo Weekender and generally don't as I find the quality of its reportage rather myopic and one-dimensional provinicial tabloidese -- however, as outlined earlier, if they were genuinely interested in proposal why not stump up some seed-capital!? The likes of Tesco and Johnston's Court should have healthy finances.

I can understand that small traders want some sort of consumer magic wand to transform the ailing Main Street, but with the exception of one or two traders in terms of a 'transforming' O'Connell Street was pitiable. They are stakeholders, but it all reality the proposed pedestrianisation scheme has been a poorly conceived and ill executed programme -- to boot there's is no cash. Hello!

If they wanted to invigorate the street -- why not invite likes of French Market for Fridays/Saturdays? give the place a lift, provide music (bar the chain of Romanian Mobile National Orchestra) etc and help create a vibe. Sh**te, to a Dodge City tumble-weed installation would have been appropriate.

But no they just sat back (many of them with their leasehold's firmly intact and/or freehold's long paid for) and expect many disgruntled motorists to engage in chicanery around the town allied with doing little to attract pedestrians, whilst the wonderful Wizards of Oz in the Corpo were doing to sort matters out. So, excuse me, but when a nameless spokesperson in a local tabloid opines that they think it's retrograde, forgive me for feeling unconvinced or sympathetic.

My modest proposal, is that Sligo has a wonderful opportunity to develop Wine Street Car Park into a Civic Town Centre. Pedestrianise Wine Street from Kool Kids to Irish Nationwide (which has wonderful urban enclosure and architecture) -- get a decent town plan with an architect to open up views of Knocknarea, BenBulben and the River, develop Multi-Storey car-park nodes, along with appropriate levels of retail/service/accomodation provided at respective service corners.

I say that Sligo is the most picturesquely situated large town in the country. Surely the dim-wits in City Hall can grasp this and get a planner/architect with the vision to develop such a gem? Hence maximising its return on both a service and tourist level. In my opinion, it seems unfortunately, that bureaucrat mandradins simply are looking at the bottom line, ie RATES.

Do i think the above will/can happen? Sadly no.

As matters stand those stakeholders who held out for 'big money' to re the Treasury Scheme, could well be out of business in a year or two -- and really Sligo just doesn't require can facilitate more ad hoc dismal shopping centres.

Linking Johnston Court and Quayside with Sligo's version of an Eyre Square would in my humble opinion be a terrific idea.

Ultimately, I believe the O'Connell Street scheme was, irrespective of available finances, always going a terribly uninspiring and drab affair -- for all the points previously mentioned in my posts on related topics.

Whilst, I am swimming against the tide in relation to the views of some already posted on this topic, the O'Connell Street pedestrianisation was little more than a rusty clunking red cog in the scheme to justify the demands for the Western By-Pass and the proposed bridge at Buckley's Ford.

The town has so much potential it is unbelievable, we just need leadership, a clear and dramatic vision, to harness the wonderful built heritage of the Shelly River City.

darealtulip

I do think that you have a very good proposal there, about wine street carpark. I also agree with the market, I mentioned that before and really think it would make a huge diference. Every time the French market is on there is a real buzz in town.

Never understood the two seperate markets (organic and market yard). A good market can make a town and will provide passing trade. I went to Ennis last year and the market there is great.

On the O'Connel Street thing, it's not ideal but it also doesn't cost much to keep it closed. I just don't think there is a real traffic problem in sligo and I like the terraces (of which I think there should be more in sligo).

I agree with you also that Sligo has potential and can with some real planning become a nice place to shop and go out. And with the beautifull surroundings it could be a buzzing tourist town.

The Big Red Button

peasant wrote: »

The way to do it:
Close most of the town to all through traffic, pedestrianise as much as possible, widen Hughes bridge to four lanes each side and make it the only bridge in town ...the rest is residents and deliveries(both with permits) only.

Allow two supermarkets in or near the retail park to attract people there and then ....offer a free bus service every five minutes right smack into the town centre (with several stops there) from the free park&ride at the retail park.

+100!
What's the point of having this "inner relief road" if we're not going to make the most of it by pedestrianising the city centre!?

SligoBrewer wrote: »

Should be open for traffic when the schools are open, ie. During Sept-May, Mon -Fri.

Lawsuit waiting to happen.

As soon as a pedestrian is knocked down on a weekday, they'll sue the council coz they were used to it being pedestrianised at the weekend.

shellyriver

darealtulip wrote: »

I do think that you have a very good proposal there, about wine street carpark. I also agree with the market, I mentioned that before and really think it would make a huge diference. Every time the French market is on there is a real buzz in town.


Cheers.

Never understood the two seperate markets (organic and market yard). A good market can make a town and will provide passing trade. I went to Ennis last year and the market there is great.

Sligo is like Ennis in ways -- and could learn a lot from that town re tourism.

On the O'Connel Street thing, it's not ideal but it also doesn't cost much to keep it closed. I just don't think there is a real traffic problem in sligo and I like the terraces (of which I think there should be more in sligo).

I agree with you also that Sligo has potential and can with some real planning become a nice place to shop and go out. And with the beautifull surroundings it could be a buzzing tourist town.

Glad to read you think so.

My theory is that Sligo town has in a sense suffered re tourism apathy capability because of likes of nearby Strandhill, Rosses Point and Bundoran. But there is a lot that could be done to hence the unique aspects of the town which would create is as being a heavy-hitter in any Irish sense re culture and tourism -- not just for visitors but also Sligonians and naturalised residents in Yeats Country.

The prospect of another Brandscape Vista in Wine Street, with anonymous glass panes and hideous 'IFSC Point' miniature cloning as proposed.

Sligo, culturally and architecturally, is much for quaint and complex than the searing uber-consumer daggers the Local Authority and dreary corporate architects are proposing to put through its heart.

I can safely pledge that the proposed Treasury Holdings scheme will never go ahead as envisaged.

PS -- the original name for Wine Street was Wine Tavern Street -- much for poetic and accurate.

Madge

Big_Mac wrote: »

I think the notion of re-opening this street is a joke and should be avoided.
The footpaths are too narrow to accommodate the volume of people that are now using the street,

Sorry, but what "volume of people" ?!
During the weekdays, especially the mornings tumbleweeds blowing around wouldn't look out of place on O'Connell street, it's that dead. I was down there at 11am Tues and there was only about 5 other people walking around that street.
Even during the school year, I find it quiet around weekdays. The only times the street gets busy is Saturday afternoons and in the 2 weeks around Christmas.

LadyDotty

Hi folks,

For those for keeping O'Connell Street pedestrianised, the first O'Connell Street Festival will take place on Saturday August 15th from 12-9pm with music and art occupying the street through-out the day. Full details available here, and will be updated with information as we get it.

It is an initiative set up by numerous organisations who are against the decision to re-open the street.

"On Saturday August 15th, Sligo’s first O’Connell Street Festival will take place, on the three year anniversary of it’s pedestrianisation. The street will be occupied from afternoon to night with music, performances, public art projects, children’s games, and other festivities. The entire day is set aside to bring together a common voice to keep O’Connell Street pedestrianised. Musical acts come from both across Ireland and locally, as do artists and community groups."

darealtulip

thanks LadyDotty, looks like fun for the wee man and us! thanks for bringing that to our atention!

nearly

I enjoyed the street festival today. It was great to see the kids drawing on the sidewalks. My nephews enjoyed making badges, it was nice to see a small company like that donating materials for the crafts sessions.

I'm surprised some of the bigger shops on the street didn't openly participate/donate. Free samples or something from restaurants or shops would have been a fun thing to bring people in and show what the street has to offer. I just thought it was funny it was a small arts company doing this. And they aren't even on O'Connell, they're up on Castle street (I think). It brought to mind what shellyriver said about needing civic leadership. If the shops really DO want O'Connell street to stay pedestrianised, they could do more to support it.

Anyway!

Did you all see this poll on the "SligoVision.com" site?

http://www.sligovision.com/?p=64

It's a poll to see if people think it should be opened or not. It's about 50/50 now. Add your vote

Mint Sauce

LadyDotty wrote: »

Hi folks,

For those for keeping O'Connell Street pedestrianised, the first O'Connell Street Festival will take place on Saturday August 15th from 12-9pm with music and art occupying the street through-out the day. Full details available here, and will be updated with information as we get it.

It is an initiative set up by numerous organisations who are against the decision to re-open the street.

"On Saturday August 15th, Sligo’s first O’Connell Street Festival will take place, on the three year anniversary of it’s pedestrianisation. The street will be occupied from afternoon to night with music, performances, public art projects, children’s games, and other festivities. The entire day is set aside to bring together a common voice to keep O’Connell Street pedestrianised. Musical acts come from both across Ireland and locally, as do artists and community groups."

so that explained the carnival band on the kids drawing with chalk on the street today

:cool:

magnumlady

I agree Nearly, the shops didn't participate at all. Most of their doors were closed.
I listened to a bit of the outside broadcast on Ocean fm and the shops just seemed to be promoting that they were taking deposits for Christmas. Didn't hear much said about re-opening the street....although I didn't listen for long.

Anyway I took a short bit of video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3oT-hxv0p8

and some photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnumlady/sets/72157622046622340/

ems_12

Some coverage on the O'Connell street festival:
http://sligotv.ie/?view=119

TequilaMockingBird

"Make love, not traffic"

Those Canadian hippies are TAKING OVER! :eek:



*snigger*

pappyodaniel

ems_12 wrote: »

Some coverage on the O'Connell street festival:
http://sligotv.ie/?view=119

Where's my hippy beating stick?
That video doesn't give a real account of the town? Where's all the waaaas in Celtic jerseys, trackies tucked into socks and baseball cap delicately placed at a 30 degree angle?
God the end of that interview was very cringeworthy, watch from 5:30

tuppence

TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

"Make love, not traffic"

Those Canadian hippies are TAKING OVER! :eek:



*snigger*

If only might do a better job! Yes pity bout the strap line alright.

But seriously sometimes it takes people with different ideas coming in for the locals to appreciate what they have and get mobilised. (There is life other than shopping!)